Balanced Diet

“Eat a balanced diet.” It’s a common phrase that you hear from experts. But what does that actually mean? The word “balanced” is vague and lacks any meaningful value.

When someone says “balance,” what exactly are they referring to? Does it mean that your food generally contains each of the three macronutrients—carbs, protein, fat? Does it mean that it only contains what is essential for nutrition, specifically certain fatty acids and amino acids? (I.e. protein and fat; there are no essential carbohydrates.) Does it mean balance in terms of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals?

What about antioxidants? Don’t we need a lot of those? Turns out, if you don’t have a lot of oxidation going on, you don’t need antioxidants. Does “balance” mean the colors of things on your plate? We’ve been told to “eat a rainbow” of colors on your plate, as if that has anything to do with health—that somehow a red pepper is more nutritious than a green pepper, or that I should combine my green beans with yellow peppers.

Does it mean “five a day” for better health? Many people have heard that one. The National Cancer Institute adopted it as a phrase despite the lack of any evidence whatsoever that eating five fruits and vegetables a day prevents or cures cancer. That phrase was actually born out of California in the 1990s and was essentially an advertising slogan. There was no science related to that idea whatsoever. There are no studies proving that it’s beneficial. Even the word “healthy” is not very useful.

I have many conversations with patients asking about what they eat, and “healthy” is a word commonly thrown out. Healthy by whose definition? I personally eat for nutrient density, and I’ve come to believe that animal products are by far more nutrient-dense and provide the nutrients in the most bioavailable forms.

This brings me back to a point I’ve made before about using precise and concise speech. We have to be talking about the same thing to have any chance of having a meaningful dialogue. And when I hear someone talk about a “balanced diet,” it’s a safe bet that they don’t even know what they mean.